


Replacement Lizard

by misura



Category: Bloodrights - N. Lee Wood
Genre: Background Relationships, Multi, Surprise Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 14:41:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30040257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: Kerrick makes what he considers to be an apt comparison.





	Replacement Lizard

"Her 'replacement lizard'," Morgan repeated, his tone flat, betraying neither curiosity nor annoyance.

Kerrick thought there was a spark of _something_ in Morgan's eyes, though. And even if not - well, the point still stood.

"She used to keep a lizard in her bosom," Kerrick said. He realized that he felt a little bit like he was trying to show off - _see how much longer I've known her_ \- and, strange as it might sound, sharing something precious, something Morgan perhaps did not deserve.

_But then, so few people in this world get what they deserve._

"I am hardly kept so close as that," Morgan said, adding, "Most of the time," merely to unsettle Kerrick, Kerrick suspected, though even if it was not, what of it?

Had Antonya sworn herself to share her bed only with Kerrick, he would have trusted her to keep that oath. As she hadn't, Kerrick felt that he had no cause for jealousy.

"It was poisonous. Not mortally so, but enough to make anyone who touched it or her regret it," he said, returning to his point. "She herself, of course, had become immune to its effects."

"By the sound of it, I would say I was an improvement rather than a replacement." Morgan's smile did not reach his eyes, as usual. It was almost reassuring, in a way: had Morgan possessed any talent for making himself likeable, Kerrick would have felt very uneasy in his company.

But it seemed Morgan only had a talent for making himself invisible, which Kerrick could live with, as long as it was in the service of his lady.

"Well, I'd assume you require more feeding," Kerrick said. Under his deliberately loose shirt, he felt the lizard stir, as if aware it was being spoken of.

"Very likely," Morgan agreed. "And so was there a point to your comparison?"

"Not really," Kerrick said, grinning in a way that contradicted his words.

Morgan looked unimpressed, which was a little disappointing. Kerrick considered it a challenge to get a rise out of him, in no small part because it was safer to taunt an assassin than to poke at Antonya in a bad mood - and also because Morgan seemed to delight in returning the favor.

In fact, Kerrick was reasonably certain Morgan had started this game, some years back, shortly after Antonya's coronation.

"If that was all, you can leave now," Morgan said.

"One last thing," Kerrick said, and kissed him. Not much of a kiss, as Kerrick had realized at some point that he preferred women over men, and Antonya over everyone else. Still, enough of a kiss to count.

Morgan's expression as Kerrick stepped back gave away nothing.

Sometimes, Kerrick found it oddly comforting. Most people found his looks unsettling at the least, if not outright repulsive. Antonya was one exception; Lirda and Jezral, two more.

"You seem rather unworried about my poison, Defender. Don't tell me you've grown tired of living."

Kerrick laughed. "Hardly. Besides, Antonya would never permit me to die."

Morgan's lips curled slightly in something that resembled a wry smile. "I would say that even the most powerful lords and ladies have less say than they might think on the matter of who lives and who dies, but in this specific case, I am forced to agree with you. Naturally, the same seems to apply to me."

"She'll keep us both alive until the day she dies," Kerrick agreed easily, even if he was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken.

"As we both intend to return that favor, it's of little concern to me," Morgan said, and Kerrick thought that apart from him, only Antonya might have heard the hint of a tremor, of some emotion hidden underneath the flat statement.

"Few things are, aren't they?" he replied, tone cool as if he hadn't heard. 

Morgan inclined his head rather than answering. Kerrick wondered if the lizard's poison was taking effect already. He did not intend to endanger Antonya by incapacitating her bodyguard, it went without saying, but a few hours of acute discomfort, followed by a sobering realization that Kerrick had bested him - that was a fate Kerrick felt comfortable enough inflicting on Morgan, especially after what had happened last week.

"She told me you'd saved the lizard from the fire that almost killed you," Morgan said, just as Kerrick was beginning to wonder what subject they might discuss next. "I assume you still have it."

The lizard's tongue flicked at a drop of sweat that was rolling down Kerrick's back. "Yes," he said.

Morgan nodded, as if to say, _'of course you do'_. "Thus, the kiss."

"Is it so hard to believe I was suddenly overwhelmed by lust or some other feeling of great affection?"

"Not hard, merely impossible," Morgan said. He half-raised his left hand, as if to touch his lips, then dropped it back to his side - or possibly his weapons, though Kerrick had no fear of Morgan attempting to cause him any true, actual harm.

Their lady would frown most heavily on such a thing.

"It's possible my general immunity extends to this particular type of poison," Morgan said.

"That's a little disappointing, I admit," Kerrick replied.

"You slipped past my guard; that's no small feat for one of your age and size," Morgan said, sounding almost absent-minded, as if his thoughts were occupied by other matters entirely than the fact that he might be poisoned. "Was there anything else?"

"I didn't want you to think it was something else," Kerrick felt compelled to explain.

"Under the circumstances, you're allowed to gloat," Morgan said. He might have begun to look a little pale, but it might also be nothing more than Kerrick's imagination.

"I don't need your gracious permission to gloat, Assassin."

"No," Morgan agreed. "Which is why it pleases me to grant it to you. Perhaps you had best leave, before I find a way to take all the fun out of your victory."

Kerrick scoffed. "You're not so terrible as to be capable of that."

"Is that a challenge?" Morgan asked, and Kerrick decided that he most likely had imagined the pallor after all. "You should be careful with those, Defender."

"Well, I was going to leave, but now that you've said that, I guess I've got no choice but to stay."

"Ah." Morgan blinked once. "If I'm going to be sick, I'll try to ruin your shirt."

"Wouldn't expect you to do anything less," Kerrick said.

Inside his shirt, snug and comfortable, the lizard went back to sleep.


End file.
